A/HRC/36/64 committed against persons accused of witchcraft, claiming 77 victims, 38 of whom were men, 32 women and 7 children. 60. Under Central African law, offences of witchcraft carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with forced labour if they cause death. This situation is of deep concern because of the obvious questions it raises as to evidence. 10 61. Most of those accused of witchcraft and charlatanism are women and children, and a large number end up in prison. When MINUSCA staff visited the Bimbo women’s prison in Bangui in early 2017, 21 of the 46 women detainees were accused of witchcraft. 11 Sometimes, certain accused are charged, tried and convicted by the courts. 62. On each visit and in her reports, the Independent Expert continues to alert the authorities to these practices and the false allegations made by members of armed groups in order to terrorize and extort money from the population. She reiterates her previous recommendations, in particular the recommendation to prosecute and punish all perpetrators of violations against persons accused of witchcraft; carry out awareness-raising campaigns to counter these practices; and begin a national debate on the issue, including in respect of existing legislation, in order to find real solutions that respect universal human rights standards. E. Gender-based violence 63. The resurgence of widespread violence has gone hand in hand with a significant increase in acts of sexual violence committed by armed groups during this period. In 2016, MINUSCA recorded 179 cases of conflict-related sexual violence against 92 women, 86 girls and 1 boy; between January and May 2017, MINUSCA documented 91 cases involving 48 women and 72 girls. 12 The true number is likely to be higher, as victims are reluctant to report such crimes because of fear of stigma or reprisals, and because the lack of security has prevented access to certain areas and hampered investigation and documentation efforts. The absence of a judiciary outside the capital also deters victims from filing complaints. 64. The vast majority of perpetrators are reportedly armed groups operating in the conflict zones, but also Fulani herders who commit acts of sexual violence during clashes or against women and girls they encounter on seasonal migration routes. In many cases, the victims are gang-raped. Outside urban centres, victims rarely have access to medical and psychosocial support. 65. On 14 June 2017, President Touadéra inaugurated the headquarters of the joint rapid response unit to combat sexual violence against women and children, stating that approximately 60,000 cases of violence against women and children had been recorded since 2014. The unit, which comprises 29 commissioned and non-commissioned police and gendarmerie officers (including 10 women), aims to promote an enabling environment for the prevention and punishment of gender-based violence and violations of the rights of the child in the Central African Republic. 66. During the reporting period, the Independent Expert continued to meet with many women’s organizations, to encourage their initiatives and to urge partners to support their work. She visited, inter alia, a women’s association in the seventh district of Bangui that has set up income-generating activities and organizes education and training. 67. The measures implemented by the Secretary-General of the United Nations and MINUSCA in response to numerous reported cases of sexual exploitation and abuse by international forces in 2015 and 2016 appear to have had a deterrent and preventive effect. The Independent Expert notes, however, that the investigations undertaken have rarely been made public and that few have resulted in convictions. She encourages partners to provide 10 11 12 10 Report of the Mapping Project, chap. V, D.1. MINUSCA, internal report, February 2017. MINUSCA produces monthly reports on conflict-related sexual violence. GE.17-12914